Apology: I know I promised my next song would be “Where Can I Turn for Peace.” It’s just not coming together quickly. Normally, I’d just take the time to do it right, but my wife and I have just begun a temple mission here in Santiago, Chile, and have not even finished unpacking yet. I had been saving this one for Christmas, as many consider it a Christmas Carol, which it is not (see History below).
The tab:
This is written as a duet for two guitars, but I originally intended it as a duet with another kind of instrument. I think it would sound especially good with a violin, cello, flute, or woodwind. Since these all play in different keys, I didn’t know whether to write the guitar part in Am or Em, so I did it in both. Then I realized that you could also get an interesting effect by playing both versions together, with the Em part played with a capo to put them in the same key. Hence, the duet version. If you just want to play it as a solo, or to accompany singers, I recommend the Am version (upper staff). It’s easier, and just as pretty, and there are no hard transitions and only one barre chord. In fact, it’s one of the easier songs I know. If the barred Amv is too hard for you, substitute the regular Am as in the last measure of the previous line. It won’t sound quite as good, but the audience won’t know.
There are a lot of hammer-ons, pull-offs, and slides. Please don’t leave them out, as they contribute greatly to the beauty of the song. Despite the large number of such ligado techniques, the slow, regular tempo makes this an ideal vehicle for learning them, so I have listed the difficulty level as “beginner to intermediate”. There are no unusual chords in the upper staff, but there are a few melody notes that are not part of the chords being played. Watch for them.
In the 4th measure, fret the D note on the 2nd string with the little finger. In the second measure of the third line, make the slide with the ring finger, for strength. The little finger probably will not be strong enough. In the last line before the Finale, there’s a mordant. This is a technical music term meaning to slide the note up to the next note and back down again. It counts as one beat of the tempo. Do it with the middle finger, then pull off the third string, all in one fluid phrase. It’s not hard to do, and sounds fantastic. If you tend to speed up during this maneuver, play it with a metronome. There are several good metronome apps available free on the internet. Some are even abailable as phone apps.
The song, as usually sung, has seven verses, but since this is an instrumental solo, you can include as many or as few as you like. After the last verse, play the Finale. It sounds much like a repetition of the last line, but there are differences. Play it about half speed, for emphasis.
The lower staff is in the key of Em. If you’re playing it as a guitar duet, place the capo in the 5th space. If you’re playing with some other instrument, or with singers, put the capo wherever you need to. This version is a bit harder than the upper staff, and contains a couple of barre chords. The G (7) chord is actually easier than it looks. It’s a normal G chord, but since you’re not playing the 1st string anyway, you can fret it as if it were a G7, which makes the transition faster.
History
This lovely, medieval melody, from the early Middle Ages, may be more than 1000 years old. Like other very old songs, even the century of composition is not known for sure. Most authorities place it around the Twelfth Century, but it could well be based on Gregorian chants and “plainsong” (unaccompanied singing) of the Eighth or Ninth Century. Others point out that it did not achieve its present form until much later, possibly as “recently” as the late 1400s.
The lyrics are based on a Catholic chant usually sung at evening prayer (“Vespers”), in which the leader calls out one of the seven names of Christ in the New Testament, and the choir responds. The seven verses of the poem correspond to these seven names, except that the last one, Emmanuel (Hebrew for “God is with us”) has been moved to the first position in the hymn.
Like many other hymns, the lyrics were originally sung to other tunes than the one we now associate with it. The present tune has been associated with the hymn for centuries, so long that the tune has taken on the name of the chant, “Veni, veni” (“O come, o come” in Latin). Until it was translated into English scarcely 150 years ago, it was known by the Latin title. The English title is an exact translation. Latin customs in writing titles used capital letters only at the beginning of the first word, and for names and references to Deity, so English writers who wish to appear authentic follow that convention, and may also spell “Oh” as just the letter O, but it’s okay to modernize the spelling if you wish. Since the song has been around so long, and no one knows how it originally went anyway, it’s also perfectly acceptable to arrange the music to suit yourself. It’s definitely in the Public Domain.
Here are the verses, in the most popular English translation, done by John Mason Neale in 1851:
O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o'er the grave
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai's height,
In ancient times did'st give the Law,
In cloud, and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
Showing posts with label beginners to intermediate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beginners to intermediate. Show all posts
I Stand All Amazed
This is a beautiful song, and one of the most beautiful things about it is that it is much easier to play than it seems-- if you play it in the right key. The original is in Bb, which is really hard to play on the guitar, and not much better on the piano. I play it in C, which is much easier, and sounds better on the guitar, anyway. If you must have it in Bb, tune all six strings down two frets and play it as written, and it’ll come out in Bb.
You can really make people cry with this song if you play it as a duet with a violin. To do that, you must both be playing in the same key. Either tune the guitar down two frets, or the violinist will have to transpose into C. LDS.org has a transposer for this song, located HERE. Open the link, open the "Key" drop-down menu in the left-hand column,and type in, C. The ap will do the rest for you. A good violinist may be able to play it without the sheet music.
[FOR THE VIOLINIST: there are a few F chords in the piece, that are not called out in the guitar tab, as no actual chords are played, only single notes. F is considered a hard chord to play by some guitarists.]
Nearly the whole song is played from some variant of a C or G chord. Of the 22 strums in the song, 21 are either a variation of the basic C chord, or the G or G7. The other is a simple Dm. Don’t let the unusual names of these chords discourage you. They are all played as a normal C chord, with one additional note added with the little finger. There are a few transitions that can be tricky if you don’t play them right, but they are not hard if you know the trick.
It took me less than 24 hours to tab the whole song, including creating the guitar arrangement. There are no barre chords. There are a few ligados, but all can be played as straight notes if you have trouble with hammer-ons or pull-offs. Nevertheless, the piece does not sound over-simplified.
Study notes:
Strum the chords with the thumb, or with a flat pick. You can pick out the melody notes the same way. A flat pick makes a twangy sound, which gives the piece a bit of a “Country Gospel” feeling, while using the thumb gives a mellower, semi-classical sound.
In the first line, all of the 2nd fret notes are fretted by flattening the middle finger of the left hand, briefly, without releasing the chord. Since all but the last chord in the line are versions of C, this allows the other strings to continue ringing while the melody is picked out in individual notes-- a beautiful technique. That last chord is a G7, which is not much of a change from a C shape--a really easy transition.
Don’t try to hold the G7 throughout the second line. You’ll need to release the chord and just concentrate on picking out the melody. Remember, fret the notes in the first fret with the index finger, the second fret with the middle finger, and the third fret with the ring finger, and it’ll make the notes just naturally fall into place with very little practice.
The first two measures of the third line are identical to the corresponding measures of the first line, but the melody is different in the last two measures. You will need to fret the notes not found in the C chord with the little finger, again. The GaddD chord is played very much like a normal G, except that the ring finger goes on the second string instead of the first string, which is not played. If anything, it’s even easier to play than a normal G, because you don’t have to stretch as far.
Maintain the GaddD into the fourth line, then release it and fret the melody notes with the “proper” fingers, as in line 2. The only remotely difficult transition in the whole song comes at the end of this line, when you have to change from the A note (2nd fret, 3rd string) to the G7 chord in the space of an eighth-note. The trick is to co-ordinate the right and left hand so the note is damped by the left finger coming off the string, just an instant after the right hand plucks it. This technique, called, “finger-damping,” is used in a lot of blues guitar playing, as well as in classical guitar. It produces a short, staccato effect, but here, it is used more to get you out of the note and into the chord quickly and harmoniously, than for the sound.
The last two lines reprise the techniques of the first and third lines: hold the C-shape chords and allow the strings to ring while playing the following melody notes. There are no difficult transitions in these lines, but remember that most of the notes are actually eighth-notes. Counting numbers are provided if you are not completely familiar with the song.
When sung as a vocal piece, this hymn has three verses, but that doesn’t mean you have to play it through three times, if you don’t want to. Once, twice, or even four times may sound better to you. Since this is intended as an instrumental solo, you can also play around with the rhythm in the last two lines, holding some of the notes extra long for emphasis. I like to hold the Dm, especially the last time around, then play the last measure in half-time. That gives the chord progression a really cool sound.
About the song:
There does not seem to be a cool back-story to this hymn-- not surprising, considering that the songwriter and lyricist, Charles H. Gabriel, wrote 7000 or 8000 others. He was a professional hymn writer, who published his works under many pseudonyms. Not all those aliases are known with equal certainty, hence the uncertainty about the number of his creations. He also wrote the music to many other familiar songs, including, “Will the Circle Be Unbroken?” "I Stand All Amazed" is in the public domain.
You can really make people cry with this song if you play it as a duet with a violin. To do that, you must both be playing in the same key. Either tune the guitar down two frets, or the violinist will have to transpose into C. LDS.org has a transposer for this song, located HERE. Open the link, open the "Key" drop-down menu in the left-hand column,and type in, C. The ap will do the rest for you. A good violinist may be able to play it without the sheet music.
[FOR THE VIOLINIST: there are a few F chords in the piece, that are not called out in the guitar tab, as no actual chords are played, only single notes. F is considered a hard chord to play by some guitarists.]
Nearly the whole song is played from some variant of a C or G chord. Of the 22 strums in the song, 21 are either a variation of the basic C chord, or the G or G7. The other is a simple Dm. Don’t let the unusual names of these chords discourage you. They are all played as a normal C chord, with one additional note added with the little finger. There are a few transitions that can be tricky if you don’t play them right, but they are not hard if you know the trick.
It took me less than 24 hours to tab the whole song, including creating the guitar arrangement. There are no barre chords. There are a few ligados, but all can be played as straight notes if you have trouble with hammer-ons or pull-offs. Nevertheless, the piece does not sound over-simplified.
Study notes:
Strum the chords with the thumb, or with a flat pick. You can pick out the melody notes the same way. A flat pick makes a twangy sound, which gives the piece a bit of a “Country Gospel” feeling, while using the thumb gives a mellower, semi-classical sound.
In the first line, all of the 2nd fret notes are fretted by flattening the middle finger of the left hand, briefly, without releasing the chord. Since all but the last chord in the line are versions of C, this allows the other strings to continue ringing while the melody is picked out in individual notes-- a beautiful technique. That last chord is a G7, which is not much of a change from a C shape--a really easy transition.
Don’t try to hold the G7 throughout the second line. You’ll need to release the chord and just concentrate on picking out the melody. Remember, fret the notes in the first fret with the index finger, the second fret with the middle finger, and the third fret with the ring finger, and it’ll make the notes just naturally fall into place with very little practice.
The first two measures of the third line are identical to the corresponding measures of the first line, but the melody is different in the last two measures. You will need to fret the notes not found in the C chord with the little finger, again. The GaddD chord is played very much like a normal G, except that the ring finger goes on the second string instead of the first string, which is not played. If anything, it’s even easier to play than a normal G, because you don’t have to stretch as far.
Maintain the GaddD into the fourth line, then release it and fret the melody notes with the “proper” fingers, as in line 2. The only remotely difficult transition in the whole song comes at the end of this line, when you have to change from the A note (2nd fret, 3rd string) to the G7 chord in the space of an eighth-note. The trick is to co-ordinate the right and left hand so the note is damped by the left finger coming off the string, just an instant after the right hand plucks it. This technique, called, “finger-damping,” is used in a lot of blues guitar playing, as well as in classical guitar. It produces a short, staccato effect, but here, it is used more to get you out of the note and into the chord quickly and harmoniously, than for the sound.
The last two lines reprise the techniques of the first and third lines: hold the C-shape chords and allow the strings to ring while playing the following melody notes. There are no difficult transitions in these lines, but remember that most of the notes are actually eighth-notes. Counting numbers are provided if you are not completely familiar with the song.
When sung as a vocal piece, this hymn has three verses, but that doesn’t mean you have to play it through three times, if you don’t want to. Once, twice, or even four times may sound better to you. Since this is intended as an instrumental solo, you can also play around with the rhythm in the last two lines, holding some of the notes extra long for emphasis. I like to hold the Dm, especially the last time around, then play the last measure in half-time. That gives the chord progression a really cool sound.
About the song:
There does not seem to be a cool back-story to this hymn-- not surprising, considering that the songwriter and lyricist, Charles H. Gabriel, wrote 7000 or 8000 others. He was a professional hymn writer, who published his works under many pseudonyms. Not all those aliases are known with equal certainty, hence the uncertainty about the number of his creations. He also wrote the music to many other familiar songs, including, “Will the Circle Be Unbroken?” "I Stand All Amazed" is in the public domain.
When I Am Baptized
I have recently received several requests for this Primary song. It was played at my grandson’s recent baptism. Another grandson will be baptized soon, so I couldn’t resist these requests.
It’s an easy song, too, with only one barre chord, a few pull-offs, and a slide. If you don’t like barre chords, you can substitute GaddD for GIII. The pull-offs can also be eliminated, too, if they give you trouble, and you can simply leave out the slide, making this a very easy, beginner level song.
Tips:
In measure [3], if you fret the D note in the third fret, second string with your ring finger, you’ll be all set up for the GIII chord (or the GaddD chord, if you choose to substitute) in the next measure. The pull-off in [5] is tricky, if you try to hold the other two notes while doing the pull-off. I just release the whole chord, sort of nicking the third string as I do, to make the pull-off.
The second line is a virtual duplicate of measures [2] - [5], except for an extra D note in [7].
In the Chorus, the D chords are for reference only. You don’t actually fret a full chord; just fret the D note on the second string with your index finger. This makes it possible to play the D/F# which follows by fretting the fourth string with the ring finger. That sets up the left hand to barre the first four strings in the fourth fret with the ring finger, in preparation for the slide in [12]. You can certainly omit the slide if you wish, but it sounds really neat.
Measure [14] is identical to [10], and [15] is very similar. You don’t have to fret either the D or the C chord. Just fret the second string with the index finger in the first space, and with the ring finger in the third space, as needed. The pull-off in [16] is easy, or it can be played normally, as desired. Repeat for a second verse if you wish. Many of the chords shown are for reference only, and may not go well with a singer or piano accompaniment, if you try to strum them.
It’s an easy song, too, with only one barre chord, a few pull-offs, and a slide. If you don’t like barre chords, you can substitute GaddD for GIII. The pull-offs can also be eliminated, too, if they give you trouble, and you can simply leave out the slide, making this a very easy, beginner level song.
Tips:
In measure [3], if you fret the D note in the third fret, second string with your ring finger, you’ll be all set up for the GIII chord (or the GaddD chord, if you choose to substitute) in the next measure. The pull-off in [5] is tricky, if you try to hold the other two notes while doing the pull-off. I just release the whole chord, sort of nicking the third string as I do, to make the pull-off.
The second line is a virtual duplicate of measures [2] - [5], except for an extra D note in [7].
In the Chorus, the D chords are for reference only. You don’t actually fret a full chord; just fret the D note on the second string with your index finger. This makes it possible to play the D/F# which follows by fretting the fourth string with the ring finger. That sets up the left hand to barre the first four strings in the fourth fret with the ring finger, in preparation for the slide in [12]. You can certainly omit the slide if you wish, but it sounds really neat.
Measure [14] is identical to [10], and [15] is very similar. You don’t have to fret either the D or the C chord. Just fret the second string with the index finger in the first space, and with the ring finger in the third space, as needed. The pull-off in [16] is easy, or it can be played normally, as desired. Repeat for a second verse if you wish. Many of the chords shown are for reference only, and may not go well with a singer or piano accompaniment, if you try to strum them.
I Saw Three Ships
Well, it's a Christmas carol, even if it's not in the hymnal, or even specifically Christian, and it has always bothered me that it would be impossible to see ANY ships from the region near Bethlehem. Oh, well! It's a pretty song to play on the guitar, and quite easy. There are no barre chords at all. Basically, it's C, G, and G7, with just one variation of each. I've tagged the variations with asterisks, as the real names of the chords take up a lot of room, and are quite unnecessary. For you purists, I've included the real names on the chord charts. If you just wanted to strum along with some carolers, you wouldn't even need to play the variations, just the three basic chords.
Good thing, too, at least in Salt Lake City where I live-- it gets DARN COLD of a winter evening, cold enough to make any but the simplest playing impossible, and I've never figured out how to play with gloves on. Enjoy! Of course, it's in the public domain.
Good thing, too, at least in Salt Lake City where I live-- it gets DARN COLD of a winter evening, cold enough to make any but the simplest playing impossible, and I've never figured out how to play with gloves on. Enjoy! Of course, it's in the public domain.
Hark! the Herald Angels Sing
Merry Christmas!
Here's another one of my favorite Christmas Carols. Enjoy!
The music:
This is not a difficult song, but it needs a bit of explanation. As published in Hymns, it is written in the key of F, which is nearly impossible for most guitarists. I have transposed it up two frets, to the key of G. Other than that, the first verse is taken exactly from the soprano and alto lines in Hymns. The song is in the public domain, so that’s okay. For those who just want to accompany singers, I have included the rhythm guitar chords, in lightface type. They won’t help you with the tab, though. So if you’re trying to play the tab as written, just ignore the lightface chords in the first verse. (The second verse is different. More on that later.)
The first verse does not need chord symbols, as there are NO CHORDS in this verse, just two-finger pinches. For those who are not classically trained, I have included notations about which left-hand finger to use to fret the notes. Normally, in classical guitar notation, such abbreviations are given in Spanish: p - i - m - a, for the Spanish words, pulgar, indicio, medio, & anulario. Since the song is written in English, and few of my followers are classically trained, I decided to use the English abbreviations: t - i - m - r (for thumb, index, middle, & ring) instead. If you are a classical guitarist, please just deal with it.
There are a couple of places where it’s easier to just slide the left hand up or down the neck, rather than switching fingers. You’ll find them as you play through the song. I tried to specify the fingering that I think will be easiest for a beginner. If you think a different fingering would be better, please yourself. This is just my arrangement; it wasn’t handed down by Mendelssohn!
The second verse is a different story.
First, the lyrics: I couldn’t keep the song on three pages and use the real lyrics for the second verse. They just take up more room, and are not as easy to follow. Since I only include lyrics to aid in following the rhythm, I re-used the lyrics from the first verse. This is supposed to be a guitar solo, anyway.
Second, the arrangement: This is one of my easier guitar arrangements. Half the notes are played on open strings! All the chords are easy to play, and most are well-known to every guitarist. The only exceptions are GaddD and CaddD, which are both slight variations of the basic G-shape. There are no difficult chord changes, and NO BARRE CHORDS!
I have included chord symbols where they would be helpful in knowing where to place the fingers of the left hand. I have left them out, where they are not needed. For example, where all the strings are played open, it is not necessary to hold a G chord, even though that is what you would do if you were playing accompaniment or rhythm guitar. In other places, only a single note of a chord is called for. In such places, I have left out the unnecessary chord changes, for clarity. If you wish to play rhythm, use the chords from the first verse.
History:
This is one of eight thousand hymn lyrics written by Charles Wesley, younger brother of John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church. During his life, Charles published over six thousand of his hymns, many of which are found in the LDS hymnal.
The tune he had in mind is not the one usually associated with this carol. Wesley envisioned it being sung to the tune of Christ the Lord Is Risen Today, which he also wrote. The tune we now use was part of a secular cantata, written a hundred years later by Felix Mendelssohn, to commemorate the invention of the printing press. Fifteen years after that, English musician William H. Cummings adapted Mendelssohn’s tune to Wesley’s lyrics, creating the sprightly Christmas carol we now know.
There have been many other tweaks since Wesley’s day. Even the first line (and hence, the title) of the song has changed. Originally, it began, “Hark! how all the welkin rings / Glory to the King of Kings”. Wesley’s co-worker, George Whitefield, persuaded him to change it. Thank you, George!
Here's another one of my favorite Christmas Carols. Enjoy!
The music:
This is not a difficult song, but it needs a bit of explanation. As published in Hymns, it is written in the key of F, which is nearly impossible for most guitarists. I have transposed it up two frets, to the key of G. Other than that, the first verse is taken exactly from the soprano and alto lines in Hymns. The song is in the public domain, so that’s okay. For those who just want to accompany singers, I have included the rhythm guitar chords, in lightface type. They won’t help you with the tab, though. So if you’re trying to play the tab as written, just ignore the lightface chords in the first verse. (The second verse is different. More on that later.)
The first verse does not need chord symbols, as there are NO CHORDS in this verse, just two-finger pinches. For those who are not classically trained, I have included notations about which left-hand finger to use to fret the notes. Normally, in classical guitar notation, such abbreviations are given in Spanish: p - i - m - a, for the Spanish words, pulgar, indicio, medio, & anulario. Since the song is written in English, and few of my followers are classically trained, I decided to use the English abbreviations: t - i - m - r (for thumb, index, middle, & ring) instead. If you are a classical guitarist, please just deal with it.
There are a couple of places where it’s easier to just slide the left hand up or down the neck, rather than switching fingers. You’ll find them as you play through the song. I tried to specify the fingering that I think will be easiest for a beginner. If you think a different fingering would be better, please yourself. This is just my arrangement; it wasn’t handed down by Mendelssohn!
The second verse is a different story.
First, the lyrics: I couldn’t keep the song on three pages and use the real lyrics for the second verse. They just take up more room, and are not as easy to follow. Since I only include lyrics to aid in following the rhythm, I re-used the lyrics from the first verse. This is supposed to be a guitar solo, anyway.
Second, the arrangement: This is one of my easier guitar arrangements. Half the notes are played on open strings! All the chords are easy to play, and most are well-known to every guitarist. The only exceptions are GaddD and CaddD, which are both slight variations of the basic G-shape. There are no difficult chord changes, and NO BARRE CHORDS!
I have included chord symbols where they would be helpful in knowing where to place the fingers of the left hand. I have left them out, where they are not needed. For example, where all the strings are played open, it is not necessary to hold a G chord, even though that is what you would do if you were playing accompaniment or rhythm guitar. In other places, only a single note of a chord is called for. In such places, I have left out the unnecessary chord changes, for clarity. If you wish to play rhythm, use the chords from the first verse.
History:
This is one of eight thousand hymn lyrics written by Charles Wesley, younger brother of John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church. During his life, Charles published over six thousand of his hymns, many of which are found in the LDS hymnal.
The tune he had in mind is not the one usually associated with this carol. Wesley envisioned it being sung to the tune of Christ the Lord Is Risen Today, which he also wrote. The tune we now use was part of a secular cantata, written a hundred years later by Felix Mendelssohn, to commemorate the invention of the printing press. Fifteen years after that, English musician William H. Cummings adapted Mendelssohn’s tune to Wesley’s lyrics, creating the sprightly Christmas carol we now know.
There have been many other tweaks since Wesley’s day. Even the first line (and hence, the title) of the song has changed. Originally, it began, “Hark! how all the welkin rings / Glory to the King of Kings”. Wesley’s co-worker, George Whitefield, persuaded him to change it. Thank you, George!
Joseph Smith's First Prayer (Oh How Lovely Was the Morning)
An EASY and BEAUTIFUL arrangement. EASY and BEAUTIFUL don’t often coincide, but this time, they do. Of the six chords in the charts, three are C, A, and G7. The others are easier than normal, because no notes are found on the #1 string when these chords are played. There are NO BARRE CHORDS at all, not even the F/C.
Because it’s so easy, you may be tempted to play it faster than specified. Trust me; it sounds better slow. Remember, that’s 80 quarter-notes per minute, so each beat of the metronome equals two of the eighth-notes shown in the tab. In the hymnal, this song is listed as 4/4 tempo, but I have recast it as 8/8, to simplify the counting. As tabbed, all notes are eighth-notes.
You may wish to add other verses, with chords, key changes, and reprises, as in Dennis Crocket’s lovely piano arrangement. You can do what you like; the hymn’s in public domain.
Complete, line-by-line instructions:
Begin with a partial measure lead-in. If you’re counting measures, begin with the first complete measure. The lead-in consists of a hammer-on on the fourth string. Position your fingers for the C chord, then perform the hammer-on with the pinkie. This sets up your hand perfectly for the following measure. You can play the lead-in as two separate notes, if the hammer-on is hard for you. In fact, you can treat all of the hammer-ons in the song as separate notes if you wish, but they’ll sound better as hammer-ons.
Continue to hold this chord shape with the left hand until it is time to change to G7 in measure [2]. You’ll have plenty of time to make the chord change, as the last note in C and the first note in G7 are both played on open (un-fretted) strings. Release the G7 while playing the open notes on the 4th, 3rd, and 2nd strings, setting up the hammer-on that ends the measure. This eases the transition to the GaddD chord in measure [3]. The change back to G7 is a bit fast, but it’s not difficult, and the switch back to C is easy, as you are playing on open strings during the change.
The end of this measure and all of measure [5] duplicate the lead-in and measure [1], and measure [6] is almost the same as measure [2]. The bass strings are played in order (6-5-4), and it’s easy to play all three with the thumb, in a slow strum, rather than playing just the 6th string with the thumb and plucking the others with the fingers, as would normally be done.
All this repetition makes the first two lines really easy to play, and you’ll notice that many other riffs, and even entire measures, are repeated throughout the song. Measures [7] and [8], are the almost the only unique ones in the song. I strongly recommend that you play the hammer-on in [7] as a hammer-on, even if you avoid all the others in the song.
In measures [9] and [11], you don’t actually have to play an A-shape to play the A chord. Just flatten the middle finger across the 3rd and 4th strings, briefly, then lift the finger off the strings and play them again, open, giving plenty of time to switch to the following C. The rhythm of measure [12] is very similar to that of [5], even though the actual notes are different.
Measure [13] is a new form, with a five-string run from the 1st string to the 5th. If you try to pluck the strings with your fingers, you will run out of fingers before you run out of strings, as the right hand pinky is not used. If you strum the strings UP, your hand will be out of place for the last two notes of the measure. The solution is to strum UP the first three strings with the middle finger, reserving the index and thumb for the 4th and 5th strings respectively. Then you can play the whole measure without a break.
Measure [14] is one of only two “difficult” measures in the song, as there’s a quick chord change from G7 to F/C. The good news is that the 1st string is not played for either of these chords, and the 2nd string is played open until the last note, which is a hammer-on. Since you are only actually fretting three strings, a bit of practice should get this transition smooth.
Measure [15] is very similar to [13]. Since only four strings are involved, simply pluck each string separately: ring finger - middle finger - index finger - thumb. You don’t have to play the G7-shape, as there are only two notes, and one of them is on a open string. I just fret the 6th string with my pinkie, then slow-strum the five-string run in the last measure.
There’s a quick movement of the left hand required between the third and fourth notes of the final measure, which may take a bit of practice. I barre the 1st and 2nd strings with my left pinkie. It’s a bit of a quick reach to the eighth fret, but the 3rd string is played open, which gives a bit more time for the movement. It’s not really a chord change, as the notes are included in the C chord, just one octave higher.
There are only six notes in this measure, but the 8/8 time signature remains unchanged. The two-note lead-in will be the last two notes of the final measure, if you play a second verse. That’s why the time in the lead-in measure is counted, “7, 8” even though it begins the song.
These instructions are rather detailed, but the playing goes quickly. I recommend that you play several verses, altering the tempo for emphasis, and reprise the last five measures.
Because it’s so easy, you may be tempted to play it faster than specified. Trust me; it sounds better slow. Remember, that’s 80 quarter-notes per minute, so each beat of the metronome equals two of the eighth-notes shown in the tab. In the hymnal, this song is listed as 4/4 tempo, but I have recast it as 8/8, to simplify the counting. As tabbed, all notes are eighth-notes.
You may wish to add other verses, with chords, key changes, and reprises, as in Dennis Crocket’s lovely piano arrangement. You can do what you like; the hymn’s in public domain.
Complete, line-by-line instructions:
Begin with a partial measure lead-in. If you’re counting measures, begin with the first complete measure. The lead-in consists of a hammer-on on the fourth string. Position your fingers for the C chord, then perform the hammer-on with the pinkie. This sets up your hand perfectly for the following measure. You can play the lead-in as two separate notes, if the hammer-on is hard for you. In fact, you can treat all of the hammer-ons in the song as separate notes if you wish, but they’ll sound better as hammer-ons.
Continue to hold this chord shape with the left hand until it is time to change to G7 in measure [2]. You’ll have plenty of time to make the chord change, as the last note in C and the first note in G7 are both played on open (un-fretted) strings. Release the G7 while playing the open notes on the 4th, 3rd, and 2nd strings, setting up the hammer-on that ends the measure. This eases the transition to the GaddD chord in measure [3]. The change back to G7 is a bit fast, but it’s not difficult, and the switch back to C is easy, as you are playing on open strings during the change.
The end of this measure and all of measure [5] duplicate the lead-in and measure [1], and measure [6] is almost the same as measure [2]. The bass strings are played in order (6-5-4), and it’s easy to play all three with the thumb, in a slow strum, rather than playing just the 6th string with the thumb and plucking the others with the fingers, as would normally be done.
All this repetition makes the first two lines really easy to play, and you’ll notice that many other riffs, and even entire measures, are repeated throughout the song. Measures [7] and [8], are the almost the only unique ones in the song. I strongly recommend that you play the hammer-on in [7] as a hammer-on, even if you avoid all the others in the song.
In measures [9] and [11], you don’t actually have to play an A-shape to play the A chord. Just flatten the middle finger across the 3rd and 4th strings, briefly, then lift the finger off the strings and play them again, open, giving plenty of time to switch to the following C. The rhythm of measure [12] is very similar to that of [5], even though the actual notes are different.
Measure [13] is a new form, with a five-string run from the 1st string to the 5th. If you try to pluck the strings with your fingers, you will run out of fingers before you run out of strings, as the right hand pinky is not used. If you strum the strings UP, your hand will be out of place for the last two notes of the measure. The solution is to strum UP the first three strings with the middle finger, reserving the index and thumb for the 4th and 5th strings respectively. Then you can play the whole measure without a break.
Measure [14] is one of only two “difficult” measures in the song, as there’s a quick chord change from G7 to F/C. The good news is that the 1st string is not played for either of these chords, and the 2nd string is played open until the last note, which is a hammer-on. Since you are only actually fretting three strings, a bit of practice should get this transition smooth.
Measure [15] is very similar to [13]. Since only four strings are involved, simply pluck each string separately: ring finger - middle finger - index finger - thumb. You don’t have to play the G7-shape, as there are only two notes, and one of them is on a open string. I just fret the 6th string with my pinkie, then slow-strum the five-string run in the last measure.
There’s a quick movement of the left hand required between the third and fourth notes of the final measure, which may take a bit of practice. I barre the 1st and 2nd strings with my left pinkie. It’s a bit of a quick reach to the eighth fret, but the 3rd string is played open, which gives a bit more time for the movement. It’s not really a chord change, as the notes are included in the C chord, just one octave higher.
There are only six notes in this measure, but the 8/8 time signature remains unchanged. The two-note lead-in will be the last two notes of the final measure, if you play a second verse. That’s why the time in the lead-in measure is counted, “7, 8” even though it begins the song.
These instructions are rather detailed, but the playing goes quickly. I recommend that you play several verses, altering the tempo for emphasis, and reprise the last five measures.
Heark, All Ye Nations
This song is in the public domain, which is good, as it’s a sprightly song that’s fun to play. The tempo is fast, the chord changes are fast, and there are a few interesting chords, but none that are especially difficult for intermediate guitarists who can cope with normal barre chords. There are a few minor challenges, though.
The first occurs right in the very first measure. The ligado --2__0-- on the third string is nearly impossible to do well, if you do it as a normal pull-off. But it’s easy if you treat it as a “push-off” instead. Push the string toward you and away from the fretboard, plucking the string with the back of the fingertip, instead of the front edge, as in a normal pull-off. This is still called a pull-off, but the motion is the exact opposite to what you’re used to. It may seem odd at first, but is much easier and faster than pulling, at least in this circumstance. Other pull-offs and hammer-ons are done normally.
The first measure of the fourth line also has a few tricky spots. If you leave the left hand fingers in the C chord shape, and just fret the D on the 2nd string with the pinky, you are actually forming a C9 chord, so there’s no reason to change your hand position. For this reason, I have shown the index finger position in the chord chart for C9 in lightface type. It’s not actually part of the chord, but there’s no reason to remove it. Hit the A on the 3rd string by flattening the middle finger while releasing all the other fingers, preparatory to moving the hand up to the III position for the GIII chord.
Play the G6III in the next measure by moving the pinky from the 4th string to the 2nd string. This is really easy, because it’s still in the same fret. Hold the other notes of the chord while doing the pull-off that converts it back to GIII. Technically, it’s really a G7III, but since you’re not playing the F on the 4th string, but only letting it ring, the difference is academic.
Hit the C note on the 3rd string by flattening the ring finger. Hit the A note on the same string by moving the barring index finger to the II position. From here, it’s just about as easy to slide up the neck to the III position and play a CIII, as it is to continue down the neck and play the C/G as written. I like the sound of the C/G better, so I have called it out in the tab, but you can play it either way, as all the notes of the two chords are identical. Just the order is different.
CIII = G-C-G-C-E-G
C/G = G-C-E-G-C-E
The first measure on the second page contains another one of those “push-offs” again, exactly like the first measure of the song. The next measure shows an FI chord, though it’s actually a continuation of the C chord from the previous measure. But the last chord of the measure is an FI. Since only the 2nd and 5th strings are being played at the beginning of the measure, and the notes are the same in FI as in C, there’s no reason not to make the change at the beginning of the measure, where you have more time to do it.
In the next-to-last measure of the line, you may have trouble with the double hammer-on:
--0__1__3--. If you cannot do both, just do whichever is easier for you, or sounds better to you.
Play as many or as few verses as you like, then substitute the last two measures as shown. Each triplet takes the same time as a single count of the other measures, so practice until you can get them very fast. Do the quick changes between the GIII and the CIII by flattening the pinky across the strings briefly, then "unflattening" it. Then slide quickly up the neck to the VIII fret for the final riff. Sometimes I strum the entire CVIII chord instead of playing the final note, for a fuller sound.
The first occurs right in the very first measure. The ligado --2__0-- on the third string is nearly impossible to do well, if you do it as a normal pull-off. But it’s easy if you treat it as a “push-off” instead. Push the string toward you and away from the fretboard, plucking the string with the back of the fingertip, instead of the front edge, as in a normal pull-off. This is still called a pull-off, but the motion is the exact opposite to what you’re used to. It may seem odd at first, but is much easier and faster than pulling, at least in this circumstance. Other pull-offs and hammer-ons are done normally.
The first measure of the fourth line also has a few tricky spots. If you leave the left hand fingers in the C chord shape, and just fret the D on the 2nd string with the pinky, you are actually forming a C9 chord, so there’s no reason to change your hand position. For this reason, I have shown the index finger position in the chord chart for C9 in lightface type. It’s not actually part of the chord, but there’s no reason to remove it. Hit the A on the 3rd string by flattening the middle finger while releasing all the other fingers, preparatory to moving the hand up to the III position for the GIII chord.
Play the G6III in the next measure by moving the pinky from the 4th string to the 2nd string. This is really easy, because it’s still in the same fret. Hold the other notes of the chord while doing the pull-off that converts it back to GIII. Technically, it’s really a G7III, but since you’re not playing the F on the 4th string, but only letting it ring, the difference is academic.
Hit the C note on the 3rd string by flattening the ring finger. Hit the A note on the same string by moving the barring index finger to the II position. From here, it’s just about as easy to slide up the neck to the III position and play a CIII, as it is to continue down the neck and play the C/G as written. I like the sound of the C/G better, so I have called it out in the tab, but you can play it either way, as all the notes of the two chords are identical. Just the order is different.
CIII = G-C-G-C-E-G
C/G = G-C-E-G-C-E
The first measure on the second page contains another one of those “push-offs” again, exactly like the first measure of the song. The next measure shows an FI chord, though it’s actually a continuation of the C chord from the previous measure. But the last chord of the measure is an FI. Since only the 2nd and 5th strings are being played at the beginning of the measure, and the notes are the same in FI as in C, there’s no reason not to make the change at the beginning of the measure, where you have more time to do it.
In the next-to-last measure of the line, you may have trouble with the double hammer-on:
--0__1__3--. If you cannot do both, just do whichever is easier for you, or sounds better to you.
Play as many or as few verses as you like, then substitute the last two measures as shown. Each triplet takes the same time as a single count of the other measures, so practice until you can get them very fast. Do the quick changes between the GIII and the CIII by flattening the pinky across the strings briefly, then "unflattening" it. Then slide quickly up the neck to the VIII fret for the final riff. Sometimes I strum the entire CVIII chord instead of playing the final note, for a fuller sound.
Amazing Grace
Unusually for this blog, this song is meant to accompany a vocalist, at least in the second and third verses. Words are provided for the first verse, for reference only, because the pattern picks can be confusing, but DO NOT SING THEM. For those who may not be familiar with pattern-picking, I have provided detailed, line-by-line instructions.
The first time through is just an instrumental introduction. Play it simply, to state the melody, without a lot of expression. In the seventh measure, there’s a slightly tricky slide that needs to be done with the pinky. Slide very fast, from the third fret clear up to the ninth. Don’t hold that note at all, but drop it immediately and return to the third fret, to play the Gadd5 chord, fretting the extra note with the ring finger.. If you are OK with barre chords, you can substitute a GIII for the Gadd5, which makes for an easier chord change. But the barre chord isn’t necessary, as Gadd5 actually sounds better here.
The hammer-on/pull-off in the tenth measure is not hard to do if you release the chord first. The rest of the introduction is straghtforward. Remember to count out the timing, so you know where each note starts.
Verse 1 is NOT sung, but is pattern-picked. The pattern refers to the pattern in which the fingers of the right hand pick the strings, not the specific strings picked, or the acutal notes played. The verse contains the same 3-/-9 slide as the first verse, played the same way. There is also a tremolo to hold the G note in the next measure. Do this tremolo by moving the “a” finger (left hand) ACROSS the string, rather than ALONG the string, as usual. Most guitarists find this easiest to accomplish by holding the finger rigid and vibrating the whole hand.
Verse 2 is meant to accompany the first SUNG verse. Play the whole verse with the right hand THUMB, not the fingers. Use a slow, even tempo, and don’t try to fancy it up. You want to back up the singer or singers, not distract the audience from them. There are LOTS of verses to Amazing Grace. Repeat this instrumental accompaniment through as many as you like, but switch to Verse 3 for the last sung verse.
Verse 3 is almost identical to Verse 1, but play it softly, behind the singer(s). Then reprise the instrumental solo of the Introduction, ending with the last two measures as shown.
CHORDS:
The chords in this song are easier to play than many of my other arrangements, as there are NO barre chords required! Even the three “advanced” chords called out in the tab are not especially hard, being only slight variations of the basic C - F - G.
Cadd5 is just a regular C chord, with the G note added on the first string with the little finger of the left hand. It is actually just a C chord, but the G note (the fifth note of the scale) is emphasized because it is the highest note played.
F/C is read as “F with a C bass.” Add the “extra” note on the fifth string with the little finger. This emphasizes the C note by making it the lowest note of the chord, a position normally reserved for the note that gives the chord its name (the “tonic” note).
Gadd5 is the only one of the three “advanced” chords that requires more than merely adding a note, though that is the effect. Play it like a regular G, but place the “a” finger (the ring finger) on the 2nd string, and the little finger on the 1st string. It’s called the “a” finger from“anulario, the Spanish word for ring. Most classical guitar terms come from Spanish, for example: “p” is for pulgar, Spanish for thumb. Also, “i” is for indicio (index or pointer), and “m” for medio (middle). Classical guitarists do not normally use the little finger of the left hand, which is a good thing, as it is either called muňeca (for wrist, which it is closest to) or pequeňo (little).
PATTERN-PICKING INSTRUCTIONS:
There are two basic pattern picks in the second verse. Pattern A is 4-1-2-3-4-3. If you are not used to pattern-picking, the thumb of the RIGHT hand is called the #1 finger, the index finger is the #2 finger, etc. In the last half of the first line, the pattern changes to Pattern B: 4-1-2-1-3-1, slightly modified to 3-1-2-1-3-1 in the last measure.
The second line returns to Pattern A, but slightly modified in the second measure by the 3 - / - 9 slide. Play the third measure as a slow strum with the thumb. Use tremolo to hold the G note on the first string if you have to.
The third line starts with a modified version of Pattern A, then a return to Pattern B in the second measure, Pattern A in the third measure, and a modified Pattern B in the last measure, with the hammer-on at the end of the line leading into the patterns of the fourth line.
The fourth line of this instrumental verse consists of measures of Pattern A, followed by a slow thumb strum, exactly as in the second verse. The singer needs to start singing at the very end of the last measure of this verse, with the first syllable of the word, “A-maz-ing”,
HISTORY:
Although many people associate this song with Scotland and the bagpipes, or think it is a Negro Spiritual, neither is true. The lyrics were written by an Englishman, and the music was composed by two Americans, who combined a couple of popular church tunes of the day. So far as anyone knows, it was not performed on the bagpipes until the 1970s, though it is now perhaps the most-requested of bagpipe tunes.
The lyrics were originally a poem written by English clergyman John Newton, to express repentence for his former life of slave-trading, rapine, drunkenness, atheism, and profanity so constant and foul as to embarass even his sailors-- a rowdy lot, it’s true. It was first published in England in 1779, and remained obscure there for more than 50 years. In America, though, it was well-received, and sung to more than 20 different tunes, none of them the one we know today.
In 1829, two Americans, Charles H. Spilman and Benjamin Shaw, joined a couple of folk tunes called “Gallaher” and “St. Mary” to create a tune they called “New Brittain.” Six years later, an American Baptist song leader, William Walker, assigned the tune to Newton’s lyrics, creating a combination that is performed about ten million times every year. It has been recorded thousands of times. Judy Collins’ hit a cappella version topped the charts for 15 weeks in 1970. Two years later, it was recorded by The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, the first bagpipe arrangement ever known.
The first time through is just an instrumental introduction. Play it simply, to state the melody, without a lot of expression. In the seventh measure, there’s a slightly tricky slide that needs to be done with the pinky. Slide very fast, from the third fret clear up to the ninth. Don’t hold that note at all, but drop it immediately and return to the third fret, to play the Gadd5 chord, fretting the extra note with the ring finger.. If you are OK with barre chords, you can substitute a GIII for the Gadd5, which makes for an easier chord change. But the barre chord isn’t necessary, as Gadd5 actually sounds better here.
The hammer-on/pull-off in the tenth measure is not hard to do if you release the chord first. The rest of the introduction is straghtforward. Remember to count out the timing, so you know where each note starts.
Verse 1 is NOT sung, but is pattern-picked. The pattern refers to the pattern in which the fingers of the right hand pick the strings, not the specific strings picked, or the acutal notes played. The verse contains the same 3-/-9 slide as the first verse, played the same way. There is also a tremolo to hold the G note in the next measure. Do this tremolo by moving the “a” finger (left hand) ACROSS the string, rather than ALONG the string, as usual. Most guitarists find this easiest to accomplish by holding the finger rigid and vibrating the whole hand.
Verse 2 is meant to accompany the first SUNG verse. Play the whole verse with the right hand THUMB, not the fingers. Use a slow, even tempo, and don’t try to fancy it up. You want to back up the singer or singers, not distract the audience from them. There are LOTS of verses to Amazing Grace. Repeat this instrumental accompaniment through as many as you like, but switch to Verse 3 for the last sung verse.
Verse 3 is almost identical to Verse 1, but play it softly, behind the singer(s). Then reprise the instrumental solo of the Introduction, ending with the last two measures as shown.
CHORDS:
The chords in this song are easier to play than many of my other arrangements, as there are NO barre chords required! Even the three “advanced” chords called out in the tab are not especially hard, being only slight variations of the basic C - F - G.
Cadd5 is just a regular C chord, with the G note added on the first string with the little finger of the left hand. It is actually just a C chord, but the G note (the fifth note of the scale) is emphasized because it is the highest note played.
F/C is read as “F with a C bass.” Add the “extra” note on the fifth string with the little finger. This emphasizes the C note by making it the lowest note of the chord, a position normally reserved for the note that gives the chord its name (the “tonic” note).
Gadd5 is the only one of the three “advanced” chords that requires more than merely adding a note, though that is the effect. Play it like a regular G, but place the “a” finger (the ring finger) on the 2nd string, and the little finger on the 1st string. It’s called the “a” finger from“anulario, the Spanish word for ring. Most classical guitar terms come from Spanish, for example: “p” is for pulgar, Spanish for thumb. Also, “i” is for indicio (index or pointer), and “m” for medio (middle). Classical guitarists do not normally use the little finger of the left hand, which is a good thing, as it is either called muňeca (for wrist, which it is closest to) or pequeňo (little).
PATTERN-PICKING INSTRUCTIONS:
There are two basic pattern picks in the second verse. Pattern A is 4-1-2-3-4-3. If you are not used to pattern-picking, the thumb of the RIGHT hand is called the #1 finger, the index finger is the #2 finger, etc. In the last half of the first line, the pattern changes to Pattern B: 4-1-2-1-3-1, slightly modified to 3-1-2-1-3-1 in the last measure.
The second line returns to Pattern A, but slightly modified in the second measure by the 3 - / - 9 slide. Play the third measure as a slow strum with the thumb. Use tremolo to hold the G note on the first string if you have to.
The third line starts with a modified version of Pattern A, then a return to Pattern B in the second measure, Pattern A in the third measure, and a modified Pattern B in the last measure, with the hammer-on at the end of the line leading into the patterns of the fourth line.
The fourth line of this instrumental verse consists of measures of Pattern A, followed by a slow thumb strum, exactly as in the second verse. The singer needs to start singing at the very end of the last measure of this verse, with the first syllable of the word, “A-maz-ing”,
HISTORY:
Although many people associate this song with Scotland and the bagpipes, or think it is a Negro Spiritual, neither is true. The lyrics were written by an Englishman, and the music was composed by two Americans, who combined a couple of popular church tunes of the day. So far as anyone knows, it was not performed on the bagpipes until the 1970s, though it is now perhaps the most-requested of bagpipe tunes.
The lyrics were originally a poem written by English clergyman John Newton, to express repentence for his former life of slave-trading, rapine, drunkenness, atheism, and profanity so constant and foul as to embarass even his sailors-- a rowdy lot, it’s true. It was first published in England in 1779, and remained obscure there for more than 50 years. In America, though, it was well-received, and sung to more than 20 different tunes, none of them the one we know today.
In 1829, two Americans, Charles H. Spilman and Benjamin Shaw, joined a couple of folk tunes called “Gallaher” and “St. Mary” to create a tune they called “New Brittain.” Six years later, an American Baptist song leader, William Walker, assigned the tune to Newton’s lyrics, creating a combination that is performed about ten million times every year. It has been recorded thousands of times. Judy Collins’ hit a cappella version topped the charts for 15 weeks in 1970. Two years later, it was recorded by The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, the first bagpipe arrangement ever known.
In Humility, Our Savior
So, why did it take so long for me to get around to tabbing a Sacrament song? Well, if you think about it, Sacrament hymns are meant to be sung by the congregation, while the Sacrament is being prepared. They aren’t often appropriate for an instrumental solo. This one is just too pretty to pass up, though. And it’s EASY.
Basically, it’s only three of the first chords any beginning guitarist learns: A, E and D, plus a couple of simple variations on the E chord. In fact, the E5 “Power Chord” is the easiest chord possible: only two strings are played, an they are both played OPEN. The E7 chord is a little harder, requiring you to play the E chord and add your little finger on the 2nd string, III space. Don’t try to “cheat” by using the easier, two-finger version of E7; the melody won’t come out right.
The only other chord is the optional, final barre chord (Av). It’s printed in light face type, to show that it is optional. Only the high A note on the first string is truly necessary, but if you play only the single note instead of the barre chord, it would be well to play it as a tremolo.
You will probably notice right away that the song begins in 3/4 time, but switches to 6/8 after the first line. Actually, the whole song is in 3/4 time, but the counting gets confusing, so I wanted to re-cast it as 6/8. But then, the counting in the first line gets confusing, hence the switch. Since eighth notes are exactly half as long as quarter-notes, the tempo comes out the same.
The slow strums in the fourth and fifth lines can be performed in either of two ways. You can either strum them normally with your thumb, taking two eighth-notes time to do so, or you can substitute a flamenco strum with the fingers, taking the same time. If you do this, be careful to make the flamenco strum no louder than the rest of the measure. The last three strums of the measure (up, down, up) can be strummed with either the thumb or the fingers, slightly accenting the down strum: 1-2-3-4-5-6. If you opt for the slow strum instead of the flamenco strum, it’s easier to use the fingers for the up-down-up. Otherwise, it’s usually easier to use the thumb.
The only difficult part of the song is the run of ligados (hammer-ons and pull-offs) at the end of the next-to-last line. If you use the E5 chord, you can pluck the two open strings while repositioning the left hand for the hammer-ons. In this way, you can use the strongest fingers of the left hand for the ligados. It may still take some practice to get it right.
One way to make the song easier is to minimize the “finger dancing” needed to hit the A notes (third string, II space) while playing an E chord. Briefly flattening the middle finger of the left hand, so it frets the A will do it. You can even use this trick to quickly switch between E and A chords-- sometimes. It’s hard to do if you need the open 1st string to ring, as the flattened middle finger can damp the 1st string, producing unpleasant sounds, or no sound at all. It works a lot better if you can bend the left fingers backwards, a little. I can’t, so I’ve had to learn to change chords fast. Fortunately, the E - A - E changes are among the easiest there are.
Basically, it’s only three of the first chords any beginning guitarist learns: A, E and D, plus a couple of simple variations on the E chord. In fact, the E5 “Power Chord” is the easiest chord possible: only two strings are played, an they are both played OPEN. The E7 chord is a little harder, requiring you to play the E chord and add your little finger on the 2nd string, III space. Don’t try to “cheat” by using the easier, two-finger version of E7; the melody won’t come out right.
The only other chord is the optional, final barre chord (Av). It’s printed in light face type, to show that it is optional. Only the high A note on the first string is truly necessary, but if you play only the single note instead of the barre chord, it would be well to play it as a tremolo.
You will probably notice right away that the song begins in 3/4 time, but switches to 6/8 after the first line. Actually, the whole song is in 3/4 time, but the counting gets confusing, so I wanted to re-cast it as 6/8. But then, the counting in the first line gets confusing, hence the switch. Since eighth notes are exactly half as long as quarter-notes, the tempo comes out the same.
The slow strums in the fourth and fifth lines can be performed in either of two ways. You can either strum them normally with your thumb, taking two eighth-notes time to do so, or you can substitute a flamenco strum with the fingers, taking the same time. If you do this, be careful to make the flamenco strum no louder than the rest of the measure. The last three strums of the measure (up, down, up) can be strummed with either the thumb or the fingers, slightly accenting the down strum: 1-2-3-4-5-6. If you opt for the slow strum instead of the flamenco strum, it’s easier to use the fingers for the up-down-up. Otherwise, it’s usually easier to use the thumb.
The only difficult part of the song is the run of ligados (hammer-ons and pull-offs) at the end of the next-to-last line. If you use the E5 chord, you can pluck the two open strings while repositioning the left hand for the hammer-ons. In this way, you can use the strongest fingers of the left hand for the ligados. It may still take some practice to get it right.
One way to make the song easier is to minimize the “finger dancing” needed to hit the A notes (third string, II space) while playing an E chord. Briefly flattening the middle finger of the left hand, so it frets the A will do it. You can even use this trick to quickly switch between E and A chords-- sometimes. It’s hard to do if you need the open 1st string to ring, as the flattened middle finger can damp the 1st string, producing unpleasant sounds, or no sound at all. It works a lot better if you can bend the left fingers backwards, a little. I can’t, so I’ve had to learn to change chords fast. Fortunately, the E - A - E changes are among the easiest there are.
The Spirit of God
This song sounds good on just about any kind of guitar, but face it: you're not going to sound like the Tabernacle Choir, no matter how big your amp is. They have 330 voices, and you only have six strings-- maybe twelve. But you can still play it so it sounds really good, even "spirited." (Pun intentional).
There are only six chords in this song, but if that's too many, you can easily substitute a regular C chord for the C/G at the end, and no one but you will know. I just think the sound of the G bass on the final chord resolves better, but it's really just a matter of preference. Don't substitute a regualr G for the Gadd5 chords, though. They are necessary to carry the melody, and besides, they are even easier to play than a regular G. Just play like a regular G, but with the ring finger on the second string instead of the first string, and mute (or avoid) the first string. Easy, huh?
Sorry, but you're going to have to play those pesky barre chords for this one. I tried to avoid them, but the melody just doesn't sound right without them. And they do make the song easier to play.
The tempo is a bit difficult to count, but if you know the song, you'll know the right tempo anyway. I've included counting numbers, for those few who may not be familiar, or who just aren't sure of themselves. If it seems wrong to you, go with the tempo you feel is right. That's musicianship.
There are only six chords in this song, but if that's too many, you can easily substitute a regular C chord for the C/G at the end, and no one but you will know. I just think the sound of the G bass on the final chord resolves better, but it's really just a matter of preference. Don't substitute a regualr G for the Gadd5 chords, though. They are necessary to carry the melody, and besides, they are even easier to play than a regular G. Just play like a regular G, but with the ring finger on the second string instead of the first string, and mute (or avoid) the first string. Easy, huh?
Sorry, but you're going to have to play those pesky barre chords for this one. I tried to avoid them, but the melody just doesn't sound right without them. And they do make the song easier to play.
The tempo is a bit difficult to count, but if you know the song, you'll know the right tempo anyway. I've included counting numbers, for those few who may not be familiar, or who just aren't sure of themselves. If it seems wrong to you, go with the tempo you feel is right. That's musicianship.
God Be With You Til We Meet Again
The first part of the song can be strummed with the thumb, or even flat-picked, if you like. Most of the chords are easy, but you're going to have to play the full barre G7III anyway, so you might as well play the F with a full barre too. If you try to substitute a regular G7, the melody will seem to go down when it's supposed to go up. If you're only strumming accompaniment, that may be OK, but it's no good for a solo.
The second part of the song is the chorus, and is played very differently, with lots of single notes, and a few ligados, but I've tried to keep it pretty simple. There are a few "extra" notes, which are mostly inserted to help with the timing, and for emphasis.
This tab is pretty basic, to give you an idea how the melody and supporting chord structure go. You can easily fancy it up yourself, adding pinches, hammer-ons, etc. wherever it sounds good to you. I never play it the same way twice.
Of it's composition history, the lyricist, Jeremiah E. Rankin wrote:
Written…as a Christian good-bye, it was called forth by no person or occasion, but was deliberately composed as a Christian hymn on the basis of the etymology of “good-bye,” which is “God be with you.” The first stanza was written and sent to two composers—one of unusual note, the other wholly unknown and not thoroughly educated in music. I selected the composition of the latter, submitted it to J. W. Bischoff—the musical director of a little book we were preparing—who approved of it, but made some criticisms, which were adopted. It was sung for the first time one evening in the First Congregational Church in Washington, of which I was then the pastor and Mr. Bischoff the organist. I attributed its popularity in no little part to the music to which it was set. It was a wedding of words and music, at which it was my function to preside; but Mr. Tomer [William G. Tomer, the composer] should have his full share of the family honor.
This song was first published in 1880, and has since been translated into just about any language you could wish, including Latin, Hebrew, and Arabic. It's the only religious song I know of that's sung by Christians, Muslims and Jews, making it one of a handful of songs with universal appeal.
The second part of the song is the chorus, and is played very differently, with lots of single notes, and a few ligados, but I've tried to keep it pretty simple. There are a few "extra" notes, which are mostly inserted to help with the timing, and for emphasis.
This tab is pretty basic, to give you an idea how the melody and supporting chord structure go. You can easily fancy it up yourself, adding pinches, hammer-ons, etc. wherever it sounds good to you. I never play it the same way twice.
Of it's composition history, the lyricist, Jeremiah E. Rankin wrote:
Written…as a Christian good-bye, it was called forth by no person or occasion, but was deliberately composed as a Christian hymn on the basis of the etymology of “good-bye,” which is “God be with you.” The first stanza was written and sent to two composers—one of unusual note, the other wholly unknown and not thoroughly educated in music. I selected the composition of the latter, submitted it to J. W. Bischoff—the musical director of a little book we were preparing—who approved of it, but made some criticisms, which were adopted. It was sung for the first time one evening in the First Congregational Church in Washington, of which I was then the pastor and Mr. Bischoff the organist. I attributed its popularity in no little part to the music to which it was set. It was a wedding of words and music, at which it was my function to preside; but Mr. Tomer [William G. Tomer, the composer] should have his full share of the family honor.
This song was first published in 1880, and has since been translated into just about any language you could wish, including Latin, Hebrew, and Arabic. It's the only religious song I know of that's sung by Christians, Muslims and Jews, making it one of a handful of songs with universal appeal.
O Little Town of Bethlehem
Well, I figured if I didn't get it posted soon, I'd have to save it for next Christmas. It may contain errors or need tweaking a bit; I didn't play through it as many times as usual, and I sometimes get errors anyway, so, if something looks wrong, it probably is. Let me know in a comment, or, if you're a follower, click my thumbnail photo and email me.
This is a gorgeous song, and not especially hard to play, if you can play barre chords. If you can't, don't despair: there are substitutes, and even an entire alternate last line, on the third page.
The first verse is mostly chords and melody notes. The original is written in 4/4 time, which, as usual, I've recast as 8/8 to make it easier to see the rhythm. Remember, the "100" shown as a metronome setting is for EIGHTH NOTES. If you try to play it as 100 quarter notes per minute, you'll sound way too fast.
Play the slide in the second measure with the little finger of the left hand (right hand for you southpaws). This will set you up perfectly for the barre chord that starts the third measure. CaddG is just a C chord, with the pinkie in the third fret to add the G note. No sweat.
Beginning with the 5th line, you will encounter arpeggios, grace notes, and other "extra" notes. If you don't like them, just repeat the first four lines. It's a guitar solo-- no one will know. If you're doing that, you can leave out all those "extra" notes.
I recommend you leave in all the "extra" notes called out in the tab, for a more Baroque sound. If it ain't Baroque, don't fix it! --motto of the Eighteenth Century Cooking Club, which I just made up. Seriously, the first four lines are better for accompanying singers, while the last four are better as an instrumental solo.
Next Christmas, I'll try to get my Christmas carols done by Thanksgiving, so you have time to learn them.
This is a gorgeous song, and not especially hard to play, if you can play barre chords. If you can't, don't despair: there are substitutes, and even an entire alternate last line, on the third page.
The first verse is mostly chords and melody notes. The original is written in 4/4 time, which, as usual, I've recast as 8/8 to make it easier to see the rhythm. Remember, the "100" shown as a metronome setting is for EIGHTH NOTES. If you try to play it as 100 quarter notes per minute, you'll sound way too fast.
Play the slide in the second measure with the little finger of the left hand (right hand for you southpaws). This will set you up perfectly for the barre chord that starts the third measure. CaddG is just a C chord, with the pinkie in the third fret to add the G note. No sweat.
Beginning with the 5th line, you will encounter arpeggios, grace notes, and other "extra" notes. If you don't like them, just repeat the first four lines. It's a guitar solo-- no one will know. If you're doing that, you can leave out all those "extra" notes.
I recommend you leave in all the "extra" notes called out in the tab, for a more Baroque sound. If it ain't Baroque, don't fix it! --motto of the Eighteenth Century Cooking Club, which I just made up. Seriously, the first four lines are better for accompanying singers, while the last four are better as an instrumental solo.
Next Christmas, I'll try to get my Christmas carols done by Thanksgiving, so you have time to learn them.
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